The drug that taught me how much I should suffer
2 days ago
- The article explores the concept of an 'Acceptable Suffering Ratio'—how much pain one is willing to endure for a desired gain.
- The author discovered their ratio through taking Accutane, accepting six months of moderate sadness for lifelong clear skin.
- Many people have unbalanced ratios, assuming suffering must be endless (Sisyphus) rather than purposeful (Hercules).
- Careers often promise future rewards for current pain, but surrogation—observing those ahead—reveals if the trade is worth it.
- Human fantasies often default to suffering, showing a deep-seated tendency to focus on pain over possibility.
- The chick experiment illustrates that walking away from what you want can sometimes be the only way to get it.
- Both extreme 'grindset' and 'bedrot' mindsets assume a fixed pain-gain ratio, missing that purposeful suffering loses its sting.
- Choosing one's own suffering ratio requires questioning societal narratives, like the 'starving artist' model.